Exchanging encrypted packet payloads between a cable headend and a Remote MACPHY device. A single device executes a cable modem termination system (CMTS) implemented in software and not hardware. The software-implemented CMTS (i.e., a virtual CMTS) instantiates a tunnel to the Remote MACPHY device. The virtual CMTS encrypts the payloads of one or more packets and transmits those packets over the tunnel to the Remote MACPHY device. In similar fashion, the Remote MACPHY device may send packets with encrypted payloads to the virtual CMTS over the tunnel. In this way, encryption is not performed on a hop by hop basis, thereby allowing the payloads of packets to remain encrypted at all times during transmit through the tunnel.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1, wherein said Remote MACPHY device is an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) element in a Passive Optical Network (PON).
3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1, wherein said Remote MACPHY device is in a 4G Radio Access Network (RAN) network or a 5G broadband cellular network.
4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1, wherein the single device is a Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) computer.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein said Remote MACPHY device is an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) element in a Passive Optical Network (PON).
7. The system of claim 5, wherein said Remote MACPHY device is in a 4G Radio Access Network (RAN) network or a 5G broadband cellular network.
8. The system of claim 5, wherein the single device is a Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) computer.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said Remote MACPHY device is an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) element in a Passive Optical Network (PON).
11. The method of claim 9, wherein said Remote MACPHY device is in a 4G Radio Access Network (RAN) network or a 5G broadband cellular network.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the single device is a Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) computer.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 2, 2020
August 23, 2022
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.